Valve lifter



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l. J. CLARK VALVE LIFTER Filed Nov. 14, 1951 Aug. 16

16, 2 v I. J. CLARK ,498

VALVE LIFTER Filed Nov. 14, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 gmvmtoa lc tglaria IVv Y Patented Aug.

PATENT oFF ICE- 1 f i IRA J. CLARK, OF FORT MORGAN, COLORADO VALVELIFTER Application filed November 14, 1931'. Serial Nat-75,121.

This invention relates to valve lifters of the C-type and includingupper and lower members connected for adjustment toward and away fromeach other, means carried by the upper member for engagement with thehead of a valve, means carried by the lower member for engagement withthe spring seat of the valve, and means by which the members may beadjusted toward each other to compress the spring of the valve and thuspermit the removal of the pin or' key by which the spring seat issupported'on the stem of the valve.

The invention has for one of its objects to provide a valve lifter ofthe character stated.

wherein the valve head engaging means will embody a push bar secured toand extending downwardly from the upper member, a foot piece and pincarried by the push bar for relative upward and downward movement, thepin having a pointed lower end located centrally of and normallyextending below the foot piece, and a spring carried by the push bar andacting to normally hold the pin with its lower end below the foot piece,the pin being adaptedto engage the head of a valve during theapplication of the lifter to center the foot piece on the valve head andhold it against accidental displacement therefrom during and after theadjustment of the lifter to compress the spring of the valve, and thefoot piece being adapted during the adjustment of the lifter to movedownwardly with respect to the pin into engagement with the valve head.

The invention has for a further object to provide a valve lifter of thecharacter stat-ed wherein the foot piece and centering pin shall beadapted for engagement with valve heads having fiat, concave or convexupper sides.

The invention has for a further object'to provide a valve lifter of thecharacter stated wherein the push rod will be hollow to adapt it toslidably receive the centering pin, wherein the foot piece will have afixed position on the push rod, wherein the relative movements of thecentering pin and foot piece will be limited, and wherein the springforholding the centering pin in normal position with respect to the footwithin the push rod.

The invention has for a further object to provide a valve lifter of thecharacter stated wherein the spring seat engaging means will embody apair of relatively spaced jaws which while strong enough to lift anyvalve spring will be of such slim and trim formation as to adapt them tobe readily engaged H with the spring seat of a valve and to provide themaximum room to remove and replace the spring seat lock or key.

The invention has for a further object to piece will i be mountedprovide a valve lifter of the character stated wherein the spring seatengaging aws' will be of channel formation and arranged with their opensides .in opposed relation and wherein the lower flanges and the webs ofthe jaws will be extended forwardly beyond the upper flanges to providehorizontal and vertical spring seat engaging members, the channelformation of the jaws and the formation of the spring seat engagingmembers integrally with the lower flanges and webs render= ing the jawsstrong enough to enable them to I be formed trim and slim. r Theinvention has for a further object to provide a valve lifter of thecharacter stated which will embody a frame having a hori-' zontal' armand a vertical arm extending downwardly from one end of the horizontalarm and of arcuate formation in side elevation, valve'head engagingmeans carriedby' the other end of the horizontal arm, a lever locatedbelow the horizontal arm and pivoted at one end to the lower end'of thevertical arm, spring seat engaging means carried by the free end of thelever, a curved arm extending upwardly from the pivotedend of the lever,a'h'and lever pivoted to the horizontal arm, and a curved link connectedto the hand lever and to the-upper end of the lever arm, the hand lever,link and lever, arm providing means by which-the valve seat engaginglever may be swung upwardly to compress the valve spring, and the handlever, link and lever, arm occupying such relative positions after thecompression of the spring that they will hold the valve seat engaginglever againstaccidental downward movement.

The invention has for a further object to provide a valve lifter of thecharacter stated which will embody a ratchet loop surrounding thevertical arm and the lever arin,

normally occupying a position which will permit the spring seat engaginglever to be rocked, and adapted to be moved into a position which willhold the lever'against. accidental rocking movement before the handlever, link and the lever arm are in operation to hold the valve springseat engaging' lever against movement.

The invention is hereinafter fully described and claimed, andillustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:.

Figure 1 isa view partly in vertical section and partly in elevationillustrating the appli! cation of the valve lifter ready. for. actuationto compress the valve spring;

s Figure 5 is a sectional view taken onthe. vertical plane indicatedbythe line 5*.5; of.

Figure 4, and

Figure 6- is a sectional view taken on the horizontal planes indicatedby the. line.

p of Figure 1 The valve lifter comprises a frame. 1 con-- sisting of ahorizontal arm 2rand a vertical,

arm3. The arm-2 is providedat its'front end with valve head engagingmeansll the? arm 3; extends downwardly from, the rear end of the;

arm 2. The arm 2 is preferably straight,and; the arm 3 is longitudinallycurvedandhas its lowerend position directly below therea-n endof thearm-2.. Theframelis made trom two flat bars arranged in, opposedrelationiand;

connected together by rivets5,and 6, Those;

portions of the bars constituting thearm, 2; are; designated 2a, andthose portions of the barsconstituting the arm 3are designatedBa, The.arm. portions 211 are laterally offset, near their front ends to provideacylindrical.

socket? which-extendsvertically throughthearm 2 and which is providedfor thereceptionl of a push; rod 8 constituting a part i of thewvalvehead, engaging means-4t. Bolts 9 provided withthumb nuts 10 extendthrough the armportions2a at opposite sidesofsthesook et.7-, andprovidemeans by'which thesections of the socket maybe moved toward each; other,tor freed for movement away from each other.

The. movement of the sectionsof the socket:

7 in-the directionof each contracts-thesocks et, and the movement ofthe. sections-,,of; the;

socket. away from each. other; expand he; socket. When the sooket 7is-expanded' ho;

tween these portions.

push rod 8 may be adjusted upwardly and downwardly on the arm 2, andwhen the socket is contracted the push rod is held against accidentalmovementfrom its adjusted position.

A lever 11 located below the arm 2, is pivotally connected at its rearend by the rivet 5-to thelower end of the arm 3, and is provided at itsfront or free end with spring seat engaging means 12. The pivoted end ofthe lever-l1 is located between the arm portions 3a, and curvingupwardly from its pivoted end is an arm 13 which is also located be- IThe lever 11 and its arm'BarealSO-madetmm two fiat bars, those portionsof the bars constitutingthe lever being, designated 11a, and" thoseportions of the bars, constituting the lever arm being. designated 13a.Washers 14' aremounted upon the rivet, 5, at one end of the leverportions 11a, and serve tohold' these portions in relativelyspacedrelation. I g

A hand lever 15ispivotally connected at one end tothe rearend ofithe.arm 2 by the rivet 6, an'dinormally extends upwardly and rearwardly.from, its pivot. The hand lever, 15 is made of two flat barsdesignatedl5a connected together near their free ends by rivets 1.6 and17, and heldin spaced relation: by

washers; 18 mounted on these rivets .andithe rivet 6. Acurved link19'locatedbetween the armportions 3a., is pivotally connected, as at 20,to andbetween theupper ends. of the arm portions 13a and is pivotally:connected, .asat 21,.to. and between the lever. portions 15a at points,close to, the pivot 6" of the. lever.

Thepush bar. 8.is.of hollowformation, and

is provided at. itslower end with -a foot piece 22 of hollow sphericalformationand extend;- ing in. all directions laterallybeyondthepush bar.A pin 23} having ai-pointedlower end 24 located at the center of thefoot piece 22,. is slidably mountedrin the push. bar 8 to.

permitthe pin to move downwardly and upwardly with. respect tothe footpiece. The upward and downward movement of the pin:

23 is limitedbya pin 25' carried byand extending'diamet'rically acrossthe push bar8. and'also extending through a vertical slot26' in the pin23. The pin 23 normally occupies r a position with its lower endextending be low the foot piece22, and'itisyieldingly held in thisposition by'a spring 27 mounted in. the push bar 8*between the upper endof the pin and apin 28 l fixed to and extending diametricallyacrossthepush bar 8;

The spring seat engaging means 12 comprises'j'aws 29 secured to thefront ends ofthe ever 11. The jaws 29 are of channel formation and arearranged with theiropen sidesin opposed: relation: The jaws29 comprise"shanks 29a which receive-and.- are secured," as" at 30, to thefront endsor the'lever portions 11a- Shanks 29a curveiupwardly andibrwardlyrand-xgradually decrease in width or iii) vertical dimension fromtheir rear to their front ends. The jaws 29 also'comprise spring seatengaging members 29?) which extend forwardly from the upper ends of theshanks 29a, and flanges 29c which'extend upwardly from the outer edgesof the spring seat engaging members. The spring seat engaging members295 and their flanges 290 form continuations of the lower flanges andthe webs .of the shanks 29a respectively, and are offset laterallyoutward with respect to the. The upper flanges of the shanks shanks. 29aterminate at the rear ends of the flanges 290. As the shanks 29a areofchanned formation, and as the spring seat engaging memhere 25?) andtheir flanges 290 are formed integrally with the shanks, the jaws whileslim and trim are so strong as not to yield under the pressure necessaryto compress the strongest valve spring. The lever portions 11a hold thejaws 29 in relatively spaced relation ready for application to thespring seat. The distance between the jaws may be varied so as to adaptthem for application to spring seats of diflerent sizes through themedium of a bolt 31 passing through the lever portions 11a and the jawshanks 29a, the head of the bolt contacting with the outer side of oneof the shanks, and a nut 32 on the bolt contacting with the outer sideof the other shank.

In practice, to adapt the valve lifter for application to a valve, thehandI eve-r 15 is actuated to swing the lever 11 into its lowestadjusted position with respect to the arm 2 if the lever 11 is notalready in such position. The pin 23 extends below the foot piec 22, andduring the initial phase of the application of the valve lifter thepointed lower end of the pin is engaged with the valve head 33, andduring the next final phase of the application of the valve lifter thejaws 29 are engaged with the seat 34 of the valve spring 35. The pin 23centers the foot piece 22 on the valve head 33, and the jaw members 29?)and 290 contact with the lower side and edge, respectively, of the valvespring seat 34. The hand lever 15 now occupies an upwardly andrearwardly inclined position, as shown in Figure 1, and it is swung fromthis position into a downwardly and rearwardly inclined position, asshown in Figure 2. During this actuation thereof, the hand lever 15moves between the arm members 3a, the link 19 moves between the levermembers 15a, and the free end of the lever 11 moves upwardly. During theconsequent upward movement of the jaws 29, the foot piece 22 movesdownwardly with relation to the pin'23 into contact with the valve head33. After the foot piece 22 contacts with the valve head 33 the jawscompress the spring 35. During this actuation of the hand lever 15, thelink pivot 21 passes from a point above to a point below the lever pivot6, and the downwardly actingforce applied to the lever-11 by thecompressedspring 35 acts through the arm 13 and link 19 against the handlever 15 in a direction which tends to move this lever downwardly. Duethereto, and'as the downward movement of the hand lever 15 is limitedbythe rivet 16 contacting with the rear edge of the link 19, the lever 11is positively held against accidental downward movement. 4

The foot piece 22 and the jaws 29 are thus held in their adjusted andspring compressing position. All possibility of the foot piece" 22becoming accidentally displaced from the valve head 33 is prevented bythe engagement of the pin 23 with the valve head. There is nopossibility of the valve lifter becoming accidentally displaced eitherwhile it is being applied or after its application and actuation toeffect the compression of the spring. A loop 36 surrounding the verticalarm 3 and the lever arm 13 normally occupies a position close to thepivot 5 of the lever 11, as shown in Figure 1. In this position thereof,the loop 36 will not interfere with the actuation of the lever 11. Whenconditions are such that the hand lever 15 cannot be swung into itslowest or looking position, the lever 11 is held against downwardmovement from its adjusted position by the loop 36 which to accomplishthis is moved upwardly from its normal position into embracing relationwith their arms 3 and 13, as shown in Figure 2. The jaws 29 are slim andtrim, may be easily engaged with the spring seat 34, and will when thespring 35 is under compression provide the greatest possible room forthe application or removal of the pin or key employed to support thespring seat on-the valve stem. The channel formation of the jaws 29permits them to be made slim and trim and yet strong enough to compressthe strongest valve spring. To release the valve lifter for removal fromthe valve it-is only necessary to swing the hand lever 15 upwardly andforwardly.

While I have described the principle of the invention, together with thestructure which I now considerthe preferred embodiment thereof, it is tobe understood that the structure shown is merely illustrative and thatsuch changes may be made, when desired, as fall within the scope of theinvention as claimed.

I claim 1. In a valve lifter, a frame having a horizontal arm and avertical arm extending downwardly from one end of the horizontal arm,valve head engaging means carried by the other end of the horizontalarm, a lever located below the horizontal arm and pivoted'at'one end tothe vertical arm, spring seat engaging means carried by the free end ofthe lever, an arm extending upwardly fromthe pivoted end of'the lever, ahand 'zontal arm and a vertical arm extending.

downwardly from one end of the horizontalarm, valve head engaging meanscarried by the-other end of the horizontal arm, a lever located belowthe horizontal arm and pivoted' at one end to the verticalarm, springseat engaging means carried by thefree end of the lever, an armextending upwardly from the pivoted end ofthe lever, a hand leverpivoted at one end to the horizontal arm, a link pivoted to thenpper endof the lever arm and to the hand lever at a point close tothe pivot ofsuch lever, and a loop embracing the vertical ,arm and the lever arm andmovable thereon into a position to hold the lever against movement andinto a position to free the lever for movement. I

In a valve lifter, a frame having a horizontal arm and a vertical armextending downwardly from the rear end of thechor'izontal arm, thevertical arm being curved and having its lower end located below saidend of the horizontal arm, valve head engaging means carried by thefront end of.

the horizontal arm, a lever located below the horizontal arm and pivotedat its rear end to the lower end of the vertical arm, spring seatengaging means carried by the front end of the lever, an armcurvingupwardly from the rear end of the lever, a hand lever pivoted at one endto the rear end of the horizontal arm and normally o'ccupying anupwardly and rearwardly extended position on such arm, and a curved linkpivoted to the upper end of the lever arm and to the hand lever at apoint above and rearwardly of the pivot of such lever,

the-lever being adapted to be swung down- -seat engaging means carriedby the front wardly to swing the lever upwardly and aaaclapted tooccupya downwardly and rearwardly extended position with relation to thehorizontal arm with the pivot of the link below its pivot to hold thelever in its up w'ardly adjusted position. I

7 l. In a valve lifter, a frame having a horizontal arm and a verticalarm extending downwardly from the rear end of the hori; zontal arm, thevertical arm being curved and having its lower end located below said.end of the horizontal arm, valve head engaging means carried by thefront end of the horizontal arm, a lever located below the horizontalarm and pivoted at its rear end to the lower end of the vertical arm,spring end of the lever, an arm curving upwardly from the rear end ofthe lever, a hand lever pivoted at one end to the rear end ofthehorizontal arm and normally occupying an upwardly and rearwardlyvextended position on such arm, a curved link pivoted to the upper end ofthe-lever arm and to the hand lever at a point above and rearwardly ofthe pivot of such lever, the'lever being adapted to be swung downwardlyto swing'the lever upwardly and adapted' to occupy a downwardly andrearwardly extended position with relation-to'the horizontal arm withthe pivot of the link' below its pivot to hold the lever in its upwardlyadjusted position, and a loop embracing the vertical arm and the leverarm and movable thereon into a position to hold the lever againstmovement and into a position to free the lever for movement;

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my

